


over fire and water

by bottomoftheocean



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Lifeguards, M/M, Oops, Water Park, fizz and the twins don't exist, i actually have no idea what this is, i don't even know ok, they're american, this is my first fic so im sorry it sucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-19
Updated: 2014-09-19
Packaged: 2018-02-17 22:47:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2325947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bottomoftheocean/pseuds/bottomoftheocean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>louis and his sister lottie go to the water park for the day.<br/>she plans to enjoy the rides. he plans to find someone /to/ ride.<br/>however, they're both in for a surprise.</p><p>or, harry's a hot lifeguard and basically all louis wants in life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	over fire and water

**Author's Note:**

> so basically, i couldn't care less about louis' siblings, but i needed him to have at least one so lottie is it. also, i wrote this initially with all of them but it was even worse than this.  
> also, ernest and doris are mark's children rather than dan's because i was lazy and didn't need lou to explain it all.  
> but yeah. i hope this sucks less than i think it does. 
> 
> enjoy xx
> 
> (title is taken from "through the dark" by none other than one direction c:)

"Come on!" Louis cries, ushering his younger sister up the sidewalk. It almost seems as though he's more excited to go to the local water park than her.

"Louis, I'm walking as fast as I can!" Charlotte complains.

Rather than dignifying her with a response, Louis just continues walking. Eventually, they reach the endless line to get tickets and get into the park.

Louis can't wait much longer. While his sister chatters about which slides she wants to ride and when, he wonders what sorts of attractive lifeguards will be present that day. He always spends the majority of his time floating around the Lazy River in an inner tube, trying to get close enough to the lifeguards to both learn their names and to see if they are attractive enough to pursue any further.

Last time he'd been forced to go to Water Country, Lottie was only eleven and wasn't tall enough to do half the things Louis wanted to. This was the time he realised that maybe the rides weren't the only thing he could enjoy at the park.

-

 _There was one boy. One lifeguard that Louis felt especially attracted to. He attended the top of the ride called Wild Canyon, which Lottie forced Louis onto, and the first glance that Louis was granted was of him kneeling, waiting for an inner tube for the group in front of his to ride on. His nametag read Ryan._ Suits him, _Louis thought._

_Before he could stop himself, he let out a quiet whimper at the sight of both Ryan and the other lifeguard - whose name, Louis noted, began with a V - kneeling the same way. He hoped no one could hear him._

_As he and his sister sat in the inner tube offered to them, Louis and Ryan's eyes met. Louis could have sworn something passed between their glances, but there was no way._ No way would he want someone like me, even if he was gay, _Louis said to himself._

_The gaze only lasted a moment, because Ryan pushed the inner tube down the slide. The young girl squealed in joy on the way down._

_Needless to say, they went back up to the top. She wanted to ride again. Ryan wasn't there this time, however._ _His shift had been rotated somewhere else, as frequently happened with lifeguards._

_Later, though, as the two of them speed-walked over the hot cement, none other than Ryan came running up to them._ _He ran a hand through his short hair, nervousness radiating off him. "Um, hi," he said shyly._

_"Hello, er..." Louis responded, pretending he didn't know Ryan's name and tilting his head to read the nametag._

_"Ryan," Ryan supplied with a half-grin._

_"I'm Louis," he smiled._

_"Um, well, I was just... I saw you up on that slide and I, um... this is going to sound odd."_

_"What is it?" Louis asked. This couldn't be what he thought it was. Was this boy really going to ask Louis out?_

_"Er..." Ryan bit his lip, which Louis found utterly adorable. "I don't know how to ask this without sounding rude."_

_Louis was taken aback, to say the least. "If you're trying to ask me if I'm gay, then yes. And proud of it."_

_Relief washed over the other boy's face. "Thank God. Now I'll feel better about asking you for coffee."_

_A gasp escaped Louis' thin lips before he could stop it. He looked up at Ryan's face, searching his features for something that said he was playing a joke. There was only sincerity. "Sure. I'd love to go for coffee," he told the taller boy._

_"Great." Ryan grinned. "How does the local coffee shop sound? We can meet at seven-thirty. You could even bring this one, if you wanted," he added, looking down to where Lottie clung to Louis' hand._

_"Maybe I will," Louis responded. "Sounds like fun, Ryan."_

_"Later, Louis." They way Ryan said his name made Louis' stomach flutter a bit. He couldn't believe that had just happened._

_"Who was that, Louis?" his sister asked him._

_"Someone I'm going on a date with," he answered dreamily._

-

Louis shudders slightly at the memory. He'd been scared to come back, fearing that he would encounter Ryan when he went, but now that he's here, he's simply determined that he'll find someone better than Ryan, someone who can get his mind off the terrible way his last relationship ended. And if he can't, he'll try again another time.

Charlotte runs off immediately, Louis staying behind, mind bogged with lingering memories. He heads towards the Lazy River, hoping to get in before it gets too busy.

He manages to be one of the first to get a tube, and he lay in it, floating along and trying not to bump into walls or other people. After he goes around a couple times, he sees his sister getting into the water. Lottie wades right over to Louis, who comes along at the perfect time for her to grab onto his tube and drag him along.

They travel around together, trying not to let go of one another. After just one trip, Louis notes that the lifeguards' shifts change. Rather than the only-slightly-attractive, shirt-wearing boy from before, in the middle of the water handing tubes to people stands a tall, curly-haired boy wearing black sunglasses, torso and left arm covered in tattoos. Lottie doesn't even notice the fact that Louis' mouth has dropped open, nor that he's blinking repeatedly. This boy is even  _more_ attractive than Ryan.

She keeps dragging Louis along, the water slowing her down only a bit. He, however, drifts from side to side, and when they pass that lifeguard, his hand hits the boy right on the butt.

He turns, catching Louis' blue eyes for just a moment. As the two take the right route, through the longer way, he lifts his sunglasses from his eyes and stares after them. They circle around twice more. After the second, this lifeguard stops them and informs them that they've been around enough - even though there is really no limit - if only so that he can say a few words to the boy who's just felt him up.

Lottie slides easily out of the inner tube and starts her walk up the steps, but Louis has a bit of trouble finding his footing. When he finally stands and makes his way towards the steps, someone grabs his arm. He whirls around to tell the stanger to let go, but comes face to face with the hot lifeguard and thinks better of it.

Louis' eyes are about level with this boy's lips, so he steps backwards and up a step to even out their height difference. "Hi. I'm Harry," the lifeguard says.

"Louis," Louis responds, smiling shyly. Harry turns away, trying to return to his job, but Louis stops him. "Listen, Harry. I'm sorry I've just touched your ass."

"Not a problem." He shoots Louis a lopsided smile before turning again.

In a sudden burst of confidence, Louis reaches down and puts his hand on Harry's bum a second time. As the younger boy shoots him a look of disdain, Louis simply says, "Oops," and makes his way up the steps.

With a curious look on his face, Harry finally completes his walk back to the center of the Lazy River and continues his attempt to contain the line--or, well, mass.

The siblings wade into the wave pool, stopping in the five-foot area and conversing lightly until finally the bell sounds and the waves begin. Then the sixteen-year-old drags him back a foot or two with a "Come back here, Lou!"

They frolic through the waves for a bit, until the water returns to a slight splash. Louis ducks under the water one last time. "I'm done with this, what about you? I'm feeling some slides."

"I say we go to the tube slides."

"That sounds all right to me. What do you say we go down there, then?" Louis waggles his eyebrows, which causes his younger sister to laugh.

They walk back towards the entrance to the wave pool, and when they finally returned to the cement, they immediately broke into a run, trying not to blister their feet on the already-hot cement.

By the time that they finish with that, nearly another hour has gone by. The siblings separate from one another, as Louis needs a bathroom break. He walks into the restroom and, seeing that it's relatively empty, quickly relieves himself. He steps over to the sinks to wash his hands, and as he does so, another boy enters the bathroom.

Louis doesn't notice this, not looking into the mirror, but looks up when he registers the presence of someone behind him. There stands Harry, curls damp and hanging in his face and a goofy smile on his lips.

"Harry," Louis breathes. "Hi."

"Hello, Louis," Harry says.

The taller boy strides out of the restroom, and Louis follows, hoping that was the plan. Harry keeps walking until he reaches a bench, where he sits.

"What happened?" the shorter boy asks, gesturing to Harry's wet hair.

"Had to rescue a little kid," he answers, biting his lip. "She went under in the wave pool. Fell out of her inner tube and the waves kept her down."

"Wow," is all Louis can say.

"Yeah... it's all in the job description," Harry responds with a sad smile.

"Still," Louis insists, "it's impressive. I would never be able to do that. I would panic too much to do any good."

The taller boy chuckles. "Have a little faith in yourself, Louis."

"You'd be surprised how horrible I am under pressure," Louis laughs in return.

"Well, if it counts for anything,  _I_ have some faith in you. You don't think you can do it until you have to."

The shorter boy grins. "Thanks, I suppose."

The two sit and converse for a while longer until Harry sees that his shift is back on and he has to go.

"Guess I have to go save people or something," he says.

"Have fun. I've got to go find my sister."

Louis gets up to leave. He's taken no more than a step when a hand touches his arm. That same grip from Lazy River. He smiles to himself, because Harry still wants to talk to him, and turns to face him again.

"Yes, Harry?"

"You're great to talk to, Louis." One of his hands reaches up and begins to rub the back of his neck.

"You're not so bad yourself," Louis points out, only making a  _small_ understatement.

"No, I had a point."

"And that point would be what?"

"I have to go back to work, but I was wondering... maybe tonight, you'd want to go for dinner or coffee or something?"

Louis takes in a quick breath. This was everything he'd been hoping for today. He can't believe this has happened to him  _twice,_  at the same place.

"That sounds great, actually," he responds.

Harry's posture relaxes drastically and the hand drops from his neck. "I thought you were going to say no," he admits.

"Now why would you think that?"

"It's just, you're so... you, and I'm so ordinary."

Louis almost lets out a scoff, but stifles it at the last second. "You, Harry, are far from ordinary. Now, don't get yourself fired. I've got to find Lottie." He turns to walk away again, only to whirl around and say, "See you later, Harold," with a wink.

He earns a slap on the ass from Harry as he turns. He laughs to himself as he goes, because a hot guy just, well,  _slapped his ass._ In public.

Fifteen minutes later, he encounters his sister at the ice cream counter, because he'd given her five dollars that morning to spend on what she wanted. Which, of course, was ice cream.

She takes her dessert and then meets Louis at a bench a few feet away. She questions his out-of-place grin, though he doesn't respond. She'll figure it out later, when he makes her cover for him with their mother.

For now, though, they head back through the park to the Lazy River. Louis' stomach does flip-flops, because  _what if Harry is on shift over there?_ But he knows that's not likely.

He's definitely not lucky enough for that.

-

Another two hours pass, and then it's ten minutes from closing. Lottie and Louis float down the Lazy River, about halfway around.

"Miss Charlotte," Louis begins, "you have to cover for me tonight."

"And why the hell would I do that? You're supposed to be the responsible one, after all."

Louis laughs sarcastically. "Silly, silly girl. When your big brother has a date with an extremely attractive lifeguard with tattoos and curly hair, you're the default excuse-maker."

Lottie giggles. "Please tell me you aren't talking about the guy whose ass you touched earlier," she says.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Besides, how did you notice that?"

"Because I made it happen," she answers simply. "Also, you weren't so subtle the second time."

He gives her a look. "Why, thank you, lovely sister." By this time, the two of them have nearly circled all the way around again. Louis hops out of his inner tube and drags it behind him. He and his sister are two of about five people left in the river, and as they leave the water, they can hear lifeguards all around, telling people to get out of pools and collect their belongings.

They do just that, heading to the locker they shared. Louis shrugs his shirt on over his damp torso, and slides his shoes onto his feet.

Only after Lottie leaves does it occur to Louis that he doesn't know where he's supposed to meet Harry.

He lingers by the entrance to the water park for a few minutes until he's told by a park attendant that he has to leave the premises unless he works there.

Thinking on his feet, Louis lies easily to the man. "I'm waiting for my boyfriend," he tells him.

"Are you now? Which boy is it?" The man seems unconvinced.

"Harry," Louis continues. It's not a complete lie. He  _is_ waiting for Harry, he's just not dating him. Yet.

"Which Harry?" He raises an eyebrow.

Louis crosses his fingers behind his back, hoping that that's the right Harry. "Oh, you know, the tall one with the curly hair." He throws in a (hopefully) convincing smile.

"Ah, Styles. I can go get him, if you'd like," the man offers.

"If you would, that'd be great. Tell him Louis is waiting for him."

The attendant reenters the park in search of Harry. Five minutes later, he returns. "Styles said he has to finish something up, and then he'll be out. Five or ten minutes, maybe."

"Thank you so much. Do you mind if I wait here?"

"Nah, go right ahead. As long as I can do what I need."

Louis smiles. "Go right on ahead." He takes a seat, leaning up against the wall and pulling his phone from the knapsack he carries. He plays a few games on it while he waits for the taller boy to come out to meet him.

When he finally does, Louis is surprised to be met by a pair of bright green eyes rather than the black sunglasses from earlier.

"Hello again, Louis," Harry says, a half-grin lifting one side of his face.

"Harold," Louis greets back with a curt nod.

"How has the rest of your day been?"

Small talk. Louis can handle this, though he's strangely not nervous in the presence of such an attractive guy. "Tiring," he answers honestly. "Keeping up with my little sister is a hassle, to say the least."

"It's hard to imagine taking care of a kid, especially someone so close in age," Harry admits.

"Yeah, it can be tough. Luckily I'm twenty-one, so my mom really only has to take care of Lottie at the moment. I'm hoping for another boy with the set of twins she's carrying now. A little Tomlinson who can learn my ways."

Harry gnaws on his bottom lip. "You're twenty-one? 'M only eighteen," he says.

"Aren't you just a baby, then?" Louis teases.

The younger boy seems a little irritated. "Are we going somewhere, or..?"

"Of course. Where would you like to go?"

Harry's grin returns. "I have the perfect place." He takes Louis by the wrist and leads him to a beat-up old Jeep. The older boy hops into the passenger seat, unsure of where Harry plans on taking him.

"You're not some creep that's going to kidnap me from my family, are you?" he questions.

Harry laughs. "Of course not, Lou."

Goose-flesh raises on Louis' arms, because Harry had just called him  _Lou._

"That's good," he says. "But where is it you  _are_ taking me?"

The curly-haired boy just grins wider. "You'll see."

-

Ten minutes later, they pull into the driveway of a quaint little house. "Harry, is this your house?" Louis asks.

"It might be."

 _He's adorable,_ Louis thinks.

"Why are you bringing me to your house?"

"Because, Louis," Harry answers, like it should be obvious, "I'm going to cook you dinner. Since you're apparently my 'boyfriend' and all."

Louis can feel his cheeks flush. "The guy was going to make me leave, and I just-"

The other boy cuts him off. "It's just Stan. He was only trying to intimidate you. To be completely honest, he's kind of an asshole and I only tolerate him because we work together every summer."

"I can see how he could be an asshole."

"Yep. Actually, most of the other lifeguards are cocky sons-of-bitches and I can barely stand them. Griffin, especially. He's by far the most attractive of the bunch, and also the straightest. But the problem is, he knows he's hot and he struts around like he owns the whole park."

Louis recalls seeing a guy named Griffin somewhere around the park earlier. Attractive, he was, but nothing compared to the boy standing beside him at this particular moment.

"He's got nothing on you," he blurts before actually thinking about his words. His hand clamps over his mouth, and his cheeks flame even redder.

Harry looks directly into Louis' face. He feels those green eyes boring into his blue ones, and has to fight a squirm from the intense stare.

It feels like hours before Harry finally speaks. "You're not the one who should be talking, Louis Tomlinson."

The shorter boy is too caught up in his own thoughts to respond. He can't get over the proximity of Harry, nor the color of his eyes. Nor the fact that this boy of  _divine_ beauty had just called Louis more attractive than himself.

"Um, Harry?" he says eventually.

"Yes?" By now, Harry has moved away, but Louis can still feel the presence of his green stare.

"What is it you're going to make?"

"You'll see."

"You tell me that a lot," Louis observes.

"It's a surprise, Louis." With that, he gets up and heads to what Louis decides is probably the kitchen.

"Make yourself at home," Harry calls. "I'll be in here if you need me."

-

Louis is on edge for the next hour and a half, though whatever it is Harry's cooking smells wonderful. He just doesn't know how to treat a near-stranger's house.

When Harry finally reenters the room, Louis immediately relaxes. He's already clicked on the television for background noise, and now takes the dish Harry offers him. "This looks delicious, Harry. What is it?"

"It's my family lasagna recipe," he answers. Then, quieter, like he doesn't want Louis hearing, "I only make it when I'm trying to impress someone."

" _You're_  trying to impress  _me_?" Louis asks, incredulous.

"Well, yeah. Why would I ask you to dinner if I didn't plan on trying to impress you?"

"For starters, I didn't really know if you were attracted to me or just being friendly." Time for Louis to ask the important question. "Are you even gay?"

 _That came out rudely,_ Louis thinks.

But Harry just mutters, "Not gay."

Louis' heart drops into his stomach. "You're not?"

"Not gay. Bi."

"Oh."

"And also, yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, I'm attracted to you."

Louis blushes yet again, and grins shyly. "Have you seen yourself lately?"

Harry looks away. "Eat your lasagna."

Louis obeys the command, because frankly, he's starving and this food looks delicious.

-

Louis finds out that not only does the lasagna  _look_ delicious, it tastes that way as well. "Harry, this is amazing," he tells the younger boy. "The only lasagna I can make comes out of the freezer."

"Maybe I'll have to teach you how to cook, then," Harry responds.

Louis gasps quietly. Harry wants to see him again? "Maybe you will," he says instead.

The two finish their food, and Harry returns the dishes to the kitchen. When he sits back down, he picks up the television remote and changes the channel to one that plays only music.

They sit side by side on Harry's couch, just listening to the words of the song, until it ends and a new one begins playing. Harry hums softly along, and then sings the words to himself. "So why don't we go, somewhere only we know."

Louis feels suddenly brave, or at least not awkward. He tugs on Harry's arm. "Dance with me," he says.

"What are you talking about?"

"Dance with me," Louis repeats.

"In my living room?"

"Don't protest! The song will be over soon!"

He tries to drag Harry off the couch, but can't get him to budge. Before he can try again, he hears the last few chords of the song.

"Harry," he whines, "now the song is over!"

"I don't dance, Lou."

"Even when it's just me and you?"

"Even when it's just me and you."

"But Harold, you don't know, you could be the most amazing dancer and you'd never know because you won't try! Please?"

"No, Louis."

Louis is about to pull out the big guns. "Please, Harry? For me?" He shoots the taller boy a pair of puppy dog eyes and a pout.

He almost questions himself, because he's just met this person today and already he's brung out the 'please, for me?' card. But it's already out of his mouth, so he just has to wait for Harry's reaction.

It's at least a full minute before Harry's eyes stop boring into Louis'. "Fine," he grumbles. "One time. That's it."

Louis has to refrain from giddily clapping because  _he's going to dance with a cute boy._ But he plops back on the couch beside Harry, closer than before, and eagerly awaits the next ballad.

When the first chords of a Jason Mraz song start playing, Louis knows that this is the time.

He ushers Harry off the couch. Surprisingly, he obeys without much protest. He takes hold of Louis' outstretched left hand and wraps his other arm around the shorter boy's waist. Louis mirrors this pose as the words to the song begin.

_"When I look into your eyes_  
 _It's like watching the night sky_  
 _Or a beautiful sunrise_  
 _There's so much they hold."_

The two boys dance in a small circle, neither paying attention to anything around them except the music and each other.

By the time the first chorus has rolled around, Harry has begun singing softly again.

Louis sighs. This moment, he never had one like this with anyone before. They would go on dates, but every one of those dates would either end in a petty argument or sex. Never just a cute kiss goodbye or anything like that. That's why he wasn't surprised when he found Ryan in a club bathroom with some other guy's dick in his mouth.

Sure, that hurt, but it was to be expected after such a fight the night before.

This moment, dancing in a small living room to music playing through television speakers, was something Louis never expected from Ryan or from any other guy he ever dated. This was what happiness truly felt like, and he could feel it.

"Harry," he says as the song comes to an end, "your voice is beautiful."

Harry blushes slightly. "You weren't supposed to hear that," he says.

"How was I not going to hear that?" He chuckles. "But you're really good."

His voice is quiet. "Really? I never thought my voice was anything special."

Louis just wants to hug him. They're already this close, so it wouldn't be much of a stretch.

 _Fuck it_ , he thinks, and pulls Harry in tighter. He's on his tiptoes, whispering into the taller boy's ear. "I don't understand why you don't know you're amazing."

"Because, Louis," he responds, trying to loosen Louis' grip. "I'm not. I'm just Harry Styles, Water Country lifeguard. Nothing special."

Louis feels like Harry just needs someone to tell him he's worth it. But Louis needs to look him in the eyes to be able to do that. So he does.

With Miley Cyrus playing in the background, the two return to their seats on the couch. This time, however, they face each other--or rather, Louis faces Harry and Harry stares at his hands.

Louis says, "Just because you're 'nothing special' doesn't mean you aren't amazing."

"Listen, Lou, I know what you're trying to do, and I really don't need a near-stranger trying to tell me things about myself."

"Harry. I realize I barely know you. Trust me. But this evening, I've done things with you that I would never have even attempted to do with my old boyfriends. And I'll admit that I honestly expected you to be just like the others. A date, a quick fuck, and then either never seeing you again or dating you for a few months, then breaking up because something wasn't working out. But tonight has been so different from anything I've ever experienced. I don't know what it is about you, Harold, but you're better than the others. Whether anyone else thinks so or not."

Harry's response is mumbled, but Louis hears every word clearly. "You're different, too. I never really thought much about... well, guys, though I have gotten close to some after long periods of time. But after you touched my ass-" he breaks off, smiling slightly, "I looked after you and your sister and I instantly knew something had to be done about you."

Louis reaches out tentatively for Harry's chin. When his touch isn't denied, he tilts the younger boy's chin up so he can see the beautiful green eyes looking back at him.

"You know, Harry Styles, I think you're special. Even though you're only a lifeguard. You saved some little girl's life this afternoon, and I'm sure you've helped countless other people time and again. You may not think your job at the water park is much, but you're a lifesaver. And that's something to be proud of."

"You know, Louis Tomlinson, you're something else. I think... you're beautiful. Inside and out."

Not the compliment Louis was expecting, necessarily, but this adorable-yet-so-attractive boy is calling him beautiful and he isn't going to object. "You're beautiful, too," he responds, leaning minutely closer. "And you don't suck at dancing, either."

"Oh, trust me. I suck at dancing. Maybe not  _that_ kind of dancing, but any other kind."

Louis laughs. The moment is gone, but he knows that something has happened, and that something was revolutionary, at least for him.

-

Every slow song that comes onto the station, Louis forces Harry to get up and dance again. It's something that he's already dependent on, the feel of Harry's huge hand holding his smaller one, and how one of his hands spans the entirety of Louis' back. It almost makes him feel... safe, weirdly. They're still nearly strangers, and yet he feels this much of a connection to the boy.

It's been almost three hours since dinner now, and it's nearly ten o'clock. Louis really didn't mean to have to make Lottie come up with such an extensive cover, but he's had such a good time with Harry that the time has just flown by.

"I'm thinking," Harry says once the current song they dance to ends, "that we should eat some food."

Louis wiggles his eyebrows. "Food sounds good. What was it you had in mind?"

Harry says nothing, but disappears into the kitchen and returns with a bowl full of something absolutely drenched in hot fudge. "Whatever that is, I applaud your fudge skills," Louis tells him.

"How does ice cream sundae sound?"

"It's a yes from me." Louis grabs one of the spoons Harry offers him, and the two of them sink back into the couch.

They sit close enough this time that their legs can support the bowl in between them, and then dig into the pile of ice cream together.

Halfway through the bowl, Louis taps Harry on the nose with his spoon, leaving a spot of ice cream on the tip. "Oops," he says with a giggle.

"What was that for?" Harry laughs, frantically rubbing his nose.

"Because I can," Louis responds, hitting him with the spoon again.

"Oh, really now?" Harry overfills his own spoon and smashes it into Louis' face. Half the ice cream slides off and into Louis' hand, who dumps it back into the bowl and then places the sticky hand on Harry's chest, wiping off whatever remains.

"Now you have to get it off my face," Louis whines. He would just do it himself, but he wants to egg Harry on a little.

"You can wipe it off yourself. I'm not your mother, and you're not a five year old."

"But you did this," the shorter boy protests. "Make it better." He throws in another puppy dog face for emphasis.

Harry does nothing for a moment except stare directly into Louis' eyes for what must be the thousandth time that evening. Then he gets up and goes to the kitchen again, returning with a wet dishcloth. Sighing, he wipes all around Louis' mouth, and then at the second spot on his own face that he hasn't yet removed.

As he walks away, presumably to throw the rag in the laundry, Louis calls, "Thank you, Hazza!" in the best little kid voice he can muster.

 _Hazza,_ he says to himself,  _I like that._

Harry returns a few minutes later, missing one element that was most definitely there before: a shirt. Louis supposes it's his fault--he  _did_ slap the boy's chest with ice cream--but he didn't expect this at all.

All his tattoos are on full display now, and Louis cannot stop staring, particularly at the two swallows on his chest. "You're missing something," he points out cheekily.

"Yeah, it's kind of covered in ice cream," Harry replies, lanky frame folding back onto the couch.

He looks over to Louis, and his facial expression changes to one displaying humor. "What is it?" the shorter boy questions.

"You still have ice cream on your face," he says. Rather than fetching the cloth, though, he simply wets the tip of his thumb with his own saliva and wipes the sticky spot off.

Harry's hand lingers on Louis' cheek for much longer than necessary, and he chooses that particular moment to regain eye contact with him.

Louis knows.

He's been happier in these past few hours than he has been for as long as he cares to remember in the moment.

This position, sitting in a house he's never been in before, with a boy he's just met earlier that day, who's close enough to kiss... Louis knows he needs to have that boy's lips on his.

He raises a hand, placing it on Harry's cheek in about the same place as Harry's hand on his own. He can hear the quiet intake of breath, can see the slight widening of green eyes. But he knows he's ready for this.

Louis  _needs_ this. He refuses to leave this house without kissing this boy.

"Can I..?" he whispers, not caring to hear the answer, in case it's 'no.'

He leans forward, capturing Harry's soft lips with his own.

It only lasts a few moments before he pulls away, but it's enough for Harry to know.

"Listen, Lou," he says, his hand dropping from the older boy's face, with an unsure expression on his own. "You should really be getting home. Your sister - Lottie, is it? - is probably going to have a bitch fit when you get there." It's the only thing he can think of to say.

Louis' face falls; this is Harry's quiet way of rejecting him. He'll never see him again.

"I shouldn't have- I'm sorry," Louis stammers as he makes his way to the door. He's about to leave alone when he realizes that, oh. "Um, Harry? You're kind of my ride."

Harry leaps up off the couch and quickly follows Louis out the door. And even though he's just completely shut the older boy down, he still has the audacity to open the passenger side door for him.

He walks around the car and plops into the driver's seat, nearly immediately starting the Jeep and driving off.

The entire car ride is slient, save for Louis' quiet direction-giving. They pull up to Louis' home twenty minutes later, and he's just about to get out of the car when Harry's now-familiar grip lands on his arm for the third time that day. "Louis."

Louis turns back to face him. "I realize that I shouldn't have kissed you. It was stupid. You don't have to say anything. I'm just going to go inside and you can go ahead and forget that this night ever even happened. Okay?" Now upset, Louis yanks his arm away from Harry and exits the car, slamming the door shut.

He's nearly to his front porch when the hand grabs his arm again. He whirls around, wondering what in the world this boy could possibly need now that he's shown just how interested he really is in Louis.

"What is it?" Louis asks, annoyed.

"Louis, there's a problem with what you said just now."

"What would that be?" He fights the urge to roll his eyes.

"Everything. I don't want to forget tonight ever happened. It was wonderful. And I sure as hell don't want you thinking that kissing me was stupid. You're anything but stupid. You're beautiful."

Louis blinks repeatedly, unsure what to say. He settles on disbelief. "Harry, you don't have to lie to me-"

"Lie to you? Louis, I..." Rather than finishing his sentence, Harry steps forward so that there is virtually no space left between the two of them. "I don't know what else to do to make you believe me."

Louis doesn't have time to respond before Harry's lips are crushed against his own, and his body is pressed against Harry's slender one. An arm wraps tightly around his waist, and he can't do anything except for melt into the younger boy's body.

When Harry pulls away, Louis' eyes flutter open and he says exactly what's on his mind. "What the fuck? You can't just act like you're not into me one second and then kiss me like that!"

"I wasn't trying to act like anything! What do you expect me to do when a guy like you kisses me out of the blue?" Harry exclaims.

"I expect you to react to the kiss rather than tell me to go home, Harry," Louis says flatly.

"It was the only thing I could think of to say! Unless you wanted me to blurt out a bunch of gibberish, there wasn't much else I could do."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"But anyway," Louis says, "I should really be getting inside." He turns to go, but then remembers that there's still an arm securing his position against Harry's front.

"I'd like to see you again sometime," Harry tells him.

Louis struggles to pull his phone from his pocket, and Harry lets go of him long enough for him to get it and open a new contact. He hands the phone to the younger boy, who puts his number in and takes a silly picture of himself for the contact photo. Louis does the same to Harry's, and then they both put away their phones. Harry envelops Louis in his arms again, and Louis is just short enough to nestle his head in Harry's neck.

The porch light turns on then, and the two boys jump apart, though Louis knows it's only Lottie being impatient.

"Goodnight, Lou," Harry says, backing away with a lingering grip on Louis' arm.

"Goodnight, Harry," Louis responds, smiling wider than he thought possible.

He watches as Harry heads back down the driveway to his Jeep, and only when he's gone does Louis go inside.

"So, Louis..." Lottie says the moment the front door shuts. "Where have you been all evening?" It's now half past ten, and she gave up on covering over an hour before.

"You know where I was," he responds.

"Didn't expect you to be gone so long," she says.

"We were having fun and lost track of time."

"Having fun, eh?"

"Indeed, Charlotte. Having fun."

"What kind of fun?"

She seems to curious for Louis' liking. "You don't really need to know every bit of detail from my date, Lottie," he says flatly.

Lottie shrugs. "Just wanted to know if you got a good fuck out of it, 'sall."

"Charlotte Elizabeth Tomlinson!" Louis cries. "None of that. Besides, you're only sixteen and should not be wondering these things, let alone saying the word 'fuck.' Now, if you'll excuse me, I think it's about time you get into bed yourself."

"Jeez, Lou, a bit uptight tonight, aren't we?" she says as she turns to go up the stairs.

No, he isn't uptight. He just can't imagine having one of  _those_ dates. The dancing and ice cream eating was much better than sex or clubbing could ever be on a first date.

As Louis settles into his bed, he picks his phone up from the nightstand where he left it before he brushed his teeth. He has a message notification from  **Hazza :)**  and he immediately unlocks his phone to check the message.

**Hazza :) :**  
 **Goodnight Lou, hope to see you again soon .xx**

Louis grins as he taps out a response.

**Goodnight, Hazza. (it's okay if I call you that right?)**

He waits no more than five minutes before there's another message from Harry.

**Hazza :) :**  
 **Love it. Goodnight again .xxx**

Louis locks his phone and places it face down on his night stand before stripping his shirt and curling up under the blankets, air conditioner keeping him cool enough to cover up.

He falls asleep with a single thought on his mind.  _I feel like this will last a while._

And that it does.

-

**a year later**

"Lottie!" Louis calls as he opens the front door to the Tomlinson household. It's the first time he's been back in a few months; he's moved into Harry's house and hasn't been much able to see his family. This will also be the first time Harry meets the twins, Doris and Ernest.

They're seven months old now, and have just figured out how to crawl, according to Louis' mother.

Now, though, as he and Harry walk into the home, the babies crawl wildly across the floor to see who it is that's coming inside.

Lottie comes barrelling down the stairs, followed more slowly by Jay Tomlinson, their mother.

"Louis! Harry!" she yelps. She's taken quite the liking to Louis' boyfriend and seem to appreciate his presence almost more than her own brother's.

Jay stays in the doorway of the living room, warm smile on her face.

"Harry," she says after her daughter has let go of him.

Jay picks up one of the twins. "This is Ernest," she hands him to Harry, picking up the female twin, "and this is Doris."

Harry holds both giggling babies in his arms with a goofy grin on his face.

Louis' face reads pure happiness, and he can't help but picture Harry in the future, holding their own children in the same fashion.

It's a picture he never wants to leave his head.

-

Doris and Ernest are practically attached to Harry's sides the entire evening. And it isn't because he doesn't want to let them go--he tries a few times--but every time he puts them down, within five minutes they're crawling as fast as they can back to him.

Louis is distracted by the  _other_  sister, so his lack of cuddle time with Harry isn't too terribly missed. Lottie crowded onto his lap after dinner and have been there ever since.

However, by seven o'clock, the younger twins were put to bed, leaving Harry's lap open for Lottie to unfold herself onto.

Louis scoots closer to Harry at this point, and tries to get his sister off the couch. But she refuses, even though at age sixteen, she's really much to big to sit on anyone's lap.

The three of them cuddle on the couch like this for two more hours until it's about time for Harry and Louis to be getting home.

Lottie whines when they put their shoes on and head to the door. "Why do you have to leave now? I've barely seen you all evening!"

"Lottie, I think you know that you've been hanging all over us all evening."

"But Louis!"

"We'll come back soon, and we'll pick you up, and we'll spend the day with you, okay? But right now, we have to go home."

Charlotte nods, apparently agreeing with Harry's proposition. She wraps her skinny arms around the taller boy first, and then does the same to her brother. "Come back soon, okay?" the girl says into Louis' ear.

"Of course," he tells her.

Louis and Harry exit the home hand in hand, but are quickly followed by Jay. "Does the mother not get a hug?" she asks.

Without a response, she pulls both of them into her embrace, kissing each of them on the cheek. Then they're finally leaving, back to the home they've shared for the last three months.

The home they'll share for a long time.

-

**another year later**

"Lottie," Harry whispers to Louis' sister. They've hidden themselves in her closet, conspiring.

"What do you want me to do? It's your proposal."

"I want you to go with me. Help me pick out a ring."

He sees her jaw drop open in the sliver of light shining under the door. "You'd really want me to do that?"

"Who better than the sister of the boyfriend?"

She wraps her arms tightly around him. "I'd be happy to. Now, we should get back downstairs before Louis gets suspicious."

"You know where I want to propose?" Harry questions.

"Where?" Lottie asks.

He whispers the location in her ear, and she grins widely. "That's perfect, Harry."

They walk down the stairs together, Lottie carrying her headphones as a reason why she ran up to her room.

Louis raises an eyebrow as they enter the living room, but curls against Harry all the same.

It's not important. Cuddling is better.

-

**two weeks later**

At the end of the previous summer, Harry quit his job at Water Country, deciding to go to college instead of being a lifeguard until he stopped being 'hot.'

So when he, Louis, and Lottie walk through the gates together, Harry's second-anniversary surprise for Louis, all his former coworkers are curious as to why he's there. "Harry?" one says.

Harry just smiles with no response, leading the two Tomlinsons behind him to the locker-buying counter.

They all shove their shoes and clothes into one locker and then immediately walk as fast as they can to the Lazy River. The ring box is heavy in the pocket of Harry's swim trunks. He makes sure he holds Louis' hand when they hop into tubes. "It's nice to actually be able to relax in here," he comments.

Louis paddles them through the longer route, and Harry tries to discreetly retrieve the ring box with one hand.

He manages it without his boyfriend noticing, to some miracle, and pulls it completely out of his pocket.

The least-clumsy moment of Harry's life occurs in this moment, as he swings Louis' inner tube around to face him directly. "What are you trying to do, Harold?" Louis questions, gripping Harry's other arm to stop from falling into the water.

Somehow he still hasn't spotted the velvet box in Harry's hand, so the younger boy takes that moment to shake his right arm from Louis' grip. "Seriously, Harry, what's going on?"

Harry doesn't really know how to begin - it turns out he hasn't thought this through nearly as well as he thought he had - but he decides that winging it is probably better than stuttering for five minutes figuring out what to say. So he starts off with, "Lou, these last two years have been the best years of my life. I don't know what my life would be like if Lottie had never made you touch my ass that day, but I sure as hell know that it wouldn't be nearly this good." He giggles, remembering the day, exactly two years and three days ago.

"What is it you're getting at?"

Harry wonders why Louis hasn't noticed the ring box yet. "What do you think I'm getting at? I love you, Louis, and I want to be a part of the Tomlinson family for real."

"Harry..." Louis sighs. He understands now.

Before the taller boy can say anything else, Lottie collides with them, gripping her brother's free arm for support. She'd been trying to catch up with them the entire time, and by now they were nearly to the waterfall, where they would all get soaked. Wow, Harry really didn't think this through at all.

Lottie shoots Harry a look that reads  _'Have you asked him yet?'_ and he shakes his head just enough for her to see. She smiles, knowing she was just in time.

"What were you saying, Harry?" Louis says, getting things back on track.

"On this day two years ago, I called you my boyfriend for the first time. And I hope that tomorrow, I can call you my fiancé." Lottie's feet splash water everywhere as she flails in happiness. The three of them are really close to the wall of water now.

Louis has tears in his eyes. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" he asks. There's only about a foot to go.

"Marry me, Louis Tomlinson." Harry's beaming, dimples showing fully.

Louis watches, wide-eyed, as his boyfriend opens the ring box. Inside rests a thick, silver band, engraved on the inside with their initials.

The older boy is about to respond just as they go underneath the waterfall, but instead lets out a squawk when the water hits him. Lottie screeches as well, but once all three are through, Harry looks and notices that Louis is smiling almost as widely as Harry, with tears shining in his eyes. "Of course I'll marry you, Harry. I would always say yes, even if it didn't rhyme."

Lottie decides to take matters into her own hands for a moment. "Well, are you going to put it on him or not?" Harry's hands are shaking as he takes the ring from its slot in the box. It drips a little from the waterfall, but slides on Louis' finger and stays there effortlessly.

"It's perfect," Louis sighs, holding the hand out to admire it.

"It's perfect because you're perfect," Harry responds.

"You two are so cute," Lottie comments. Both of them splash her.

They only take the one trip around, because Louis needs to give Harry a proper kiss, and that just can't happen when they're floating in inner tubes.

The three get out of the water and climb the stairs, and from there, Harry lifts Louis off the ground. The shorter boy wraps his legs around his waist and attaches their lips. This is exactly what he needed.

"I can't believe you," Louis says between kisses. "I love you so much, Hazza."

"And I love you, Lou. More than anything."

And that may be the truest thing Harry has ever said.

**fin**

**Author's Note:**

> so again, i hope you enjoyed this!  
> if you did, let me know and i might continue writing fics because maybe i don't suck after all?
> 
> mikki xx


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